“Today, women in the village have become more courageous and free”

“The mission of mother and landlady should not limit women’s participation in public and economic life in any way,” said 29-year-old Naira Mikayelyan, a resident of the village of Bardzavan, Syunik region.

Naira lives with her mother and sister. Father died in 1993 In the Artsakh war, the mother is a pensioner, her sister, a 30-year-old nurse, works as a nurse in the village’s medical center. According to Naira, economic issues are jointly solved, although mother’s opinion is primary. Shepherding helps her mother, but it is difficult to develop distant pastures. “We need the strength of men, we have difficulty organizing this issue, besides we have no financial resources,” says Naira.

She used to teach Russian and French at school, but she does not work anymore because of issues with the director. Honest Naira has decided to restore her violated labor rights.

Living in a remote village, however, Naira is not indifferent to politics. Naira, well-versed in the velvet revolution, often discusses what she has heard and perceived.

Naira believes that women’s active participation is  more necessary not only in politics, but also in all sectors of the economy. That’s good for the public. Women have become more bold and free. According to her, this is also noticeable in their village, as they have started expressing their opinion more freely on one or another issue.

 She is concerned not only for herself but also for other girls in the village who are looking for a job, who live with the hope of  the bright future, confident that they will become a reality one day.

Full text in Armenian